Study: Obesity Increases Costs at Workplace

What impact does obesity have on America’s bottom line? Researchers at RTI International and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study to record costs associated with heft in the workplace. The findings appeared in the September/ October 2005 issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.

The average annual per capita increase in medical expenditures and absenteeism associated with obesity ranges from $450 to $2,500 per obese employee. Costs increase along with BMI.

The combined annual per capita cost of being an obese man, including medical expenses and absenteeism, ranges from $460 to $2,030. For women the per capita cost ranges from $1,370 to $2,485.

The estimated cost of obesity at a firm with 1,000 employees is about $285,000 per year.